In the battle for the best air fryer on the market there is one comparison drawn over and over again: Ninja vs Cosori. Both brands make a range of high-quality, smart air fryers and countertop ovens. These cater to a range of households, but which is better?
Our team of experts have reviewed nearly every Ninja on the market. We've also tested our fair share of Cosoris too, so if you want the experts' verdicts on which you should buy, you're in the right place.
We've compared their best air fryers and countertop ovens. So, if you're trying to narrow down the best air fryers on the market, we've done all the hard work done for you.
What's the difference between Ninja and Cosori?
Ninja is best for big families: Ninja air fryers stand out for their dual-zone cooking technology. The Ninja Foodi and Ninja Double Stack are great for preparing two dishes simultaneously with separate temperature controls. This makes them ideal for big families who need to feed a crowd. Their smaller air fryers (starting at 2 quarts) are often round baskets, which are not super space-efficient.
Ninja also offer models with ceramic-coated air fryer baskets, which are celebrated for being non-toxic. You can read our guide to the best non-toxic air fryers, here.
Cosori is better for couples or smaller families who like smart tech: Cosori, on the other hand, is best known for the powerful, but affordable TurboBlaze range. They are medium size, with square baskets that maximize cooking space. We loved this brand for crispier food at a lower price point. Cosori air fryers can also integrate with smart-home devices like Alexa and Google Assistant for added convenience, so if that's your thing, you'll prefer this brand.
Ninja vs Cosori: Which brand is cheaper in the Black Friday sales?
Black Friday weekend is in full swing, and both Ninja and Cosori are offering some good deals. I've listed the best bargains below – you'll find more comparison points between each model further down the page.
Ninja Dual vs Cosori Blaze II
Winner: Ninja
Busy households will appreciate air fryers that can do it all. The Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 Dual Basket air fryer can cook two separate meals at the same time. They can sync finish, meaning you can make hasty, tasty food. The Cosori is also great, and we love the smart functionality, but the Ninja holds more food, cooks faster, quieter, and costs less.
We've put their specifications against each other in a table, but that doesn't tell the full story, so if you want to know more about their functions, there's more information further down.
The 8 quart capacity and dual baskets mean that this can make meals for the family in mere minutes. Even better, the baskets are dishwasher friendly too. There are so many settings that it can be easy to confuse them: 'match cook' and 'sync finish' sound similar, but have different results. There's also no pre-heat function which makes it hard to be super precise.
Another air frying powerhouse, the Cosori boasts some incredibly smart features. You can connect and control it using Alexa. We thought the Ninja had a good range of functions, but using the app, this has over 100 preset cooking modes, taking all the hassle out of cooking. It's also dishwasher safe too. It comes with drawbacks though: this is louder and slower than the Ninja, so not for those who are in a hurry.
Ninja Max XL vs Cosori Lite
Winner: Ninja
If you're short on space, you can still own an excellent air fryer. Our favorite brand of the two is Ninja. The ironically-named Ninja Max XL is great for smaller spaces because it takes up surprisingly little space for a 5.5 quart air fryer. It's very fast, non-toxic, and simply makes better food than the Cosori. However, the Cosori is slightly smaller, quieter, and easier to use. Both Ninja and Cosori make top-quality, compact appliances. If you need to choose between the two, here's everything you need to know.
It's rare that a compact option can still boast capacity. This Ninja has a 5.5 quart drawer, which is enough to cook for a whole family - we've never seen anything like it. The Max XL cooked frozen food in record time. However, if you need to cook at lower temperatures, you might find the Max XL a little lacking, especially because it doesn't have a pre-heat function. The Cosori is much more beginner-friendly, offering pre-sets for a range of foods. When finished, the drawers are dishwasher safe. In fact, the baskets inside are ceramic, so if you want a non-toxic air fryer, this is a brilliant option.
There are a range of Cosori Lite air fryers (one is even as small as 2.1 quarts), but tested their 4 quart model. This isn't quite as big as the Ninja, but that means that it's smaller on the countertop. The functions are tailored towards specific foods, which is good for beginners, but limiting if you want to diversify beyond chicken and fries. This is also extremely quiet, straightforward to use, and very easy to clean. It retails at around $100, which is the same as the Ninja. It's also not the most consistent: other reviewers say that it struggled with home cooked fries.
Ninja Foodi Flip vs Cosori Smart Oven
Winner: Cosori
Toaster ovens are brilliant compact options if you're looking for an appliance that can do more than just air fry. They tend to demand more space on the countertop, but if you'll use every function, toaster ovens are excellent, hard-working appliances. We think Cosori wins here. It's very straightforward; their toaster oven can do everything Ninja's can, but much more besides, with room for a small chicken that the Ninja can't match.
Ultra compact, sleek, and stylish, this mini oven can do it all. It will help you maximise on countertop space whilst air frying, air roasting, air broiling, baking, toasting bagels, toasting, dehydrating and keeping warm. We tested all the functions and were pleased across the board. The capacity, as you might expect, is limited; it can only fit a 13 x 13 tray and is too narrow for a whole chicken, but this is generally good for small cooking tasks.
Cosori's Smart Oven has four more functions than the Ninja: ferment, bake, pizza, and defrost. It will also preheat, so that you can achieve more precise cooking results. It's bigger on the countertop, but that means that it has more internal capacity (32 quarts): it's big enough for a rotisserie chicken and the Ninja is not. At full price, this is around $150 whereas the Ninja is around $220, so if you're looking for value, the Cosori is a winner.
Black Friday shopping advice
Watch for Bundles: Retailers often bundle air fryers with accessories, like baking pans and skewer racks, which can increase the value for both Ninja and Cosori models.
Look for Price Drops on Last Year’s Models: While the latest models like the Ninja DZ550 and Cosori TurboBlaze may be discounted, older models often receive even steeper price cuts without sacrificing much in performancecookindocs.comHunker.
Compare Dual-Zone vs. Single-Zone: Dual-zone air fryers like the Ninja Foodi are popular but can be pricier. If you don't need this feature, consider single-basket models to save money.
Shop Early: Inventory for high-demand items like air fryers can sell out quickly during Black Friday, so monitor deals early and be ready to purchase
FAQs
Is Cosori as good as Ninja?
Ninja and Cosori are both excellent brands. We love their appliances when we've tested them, but they're brilliant for different reasons. Cosori often provide recipe books and have pre-heat functions, which Ninjas don't. However, Ninja air fryers tended to be more consistent in our tests.
Is there an air fryer better than Ninja?
There are plenty of good air fryers on the market and, whilst some of them are Ninja, there are other options available. In fact, Instant tops Ninja in our air fryers buying guide and we also feature Philips and Cosori too. It's all dependent on your needs.
Which air fryer is the best quality?
In our air fryers buying guide, we put the Instant Vortex Plus in top spot. The Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 is quick, but when we considered value, capacity, and usage, the Instant was the best. However, you'll have specific needs that different air fryers can meet, so make sure to shop around before committing to one.
Why were Cosori recalled?
Some Cosori models were recalled due to a wiring fault that caused minor burns and property damage. None of the products listed in this article were models affected by this recall. If you're at all worried about this, I'd go for a Ninja.
Final thoughts
You can't go wrong with a Ninja or Cosori appliance: we like them both for different reasons. If we had to choose the best for families, the Ninja Foodi and its DualZone technology would win the battle. For a compact option, the Ninja XL, even though it's a little bigger, is more consistent and competent than the Cosori. However, with the toaster ovens, Cosori has a more diverse offering and it can cook a rotisserie chicken. That's a deal breaker for most people.
